Apocalypse Trails - 4 by Joe Nobody

Author:Joe Nobody [Nobody, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kemah Bay Marketing, LLC
Published: 2017-03-22T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Hewitt hadn’t been gone five minutes before the door opened, and an elderly woman entered his cell carrying a tray. “Sheriff Langdon said we should feed you,” she said. “I’m sorry. It’s not much, but it is the same as everyone here is eating today.”

While she set the tray on the table, Jack observed the fidgety guard outside. The young man was obviously scared to death, his white knuckles plainly visible when he gripped his rifle.

The woman backed out as Jack mumbled, “Thank you.” Moving to the tray, Jack pulled back a cloth napkin and inhaled sharply.

On the plastic plate was a steak the size of Nebraska, fried beans, some sort of flat bread, and a large glass of milk. “I’ve not seen anything like this since before I boarded Utah,” he whispered, taking special note of the butter dripping from the hot bread.

The commander dug in, partly because the aroma was wonderful, partly because he knew it might be his last meal, but mostly because in these times, a man never knew when he might eat next.

The steak was tender, fresh, and so well prepared, that the plastic knife sliced right through. The beans appeared to have been canned right out of a local garden … and had been cooked in some sort of oil or fat, probably to add calories to everyone’s diet. The bread was horrible, only made tolerable by the butter. All in all, Jack savored every last morsel, including the warm, rich milk.

After wolfing down the meal, the commander got back to focusing on his primary task – escape.

The plastic knife and fork that had been provided on his tray were worthless. So was the candle. Basically, Jack had his clothing and boots, and nothing else but the table and chairs. Unless he planned on taming a lion, the furniture sparked no opportunity to vacate the premises. Deeply engrossed in his mental initiative, the commander was briefly distracted by his bloated gut, happy to have been nourished, but at the same time protesting the work involved in digesting the now unfamiliar cuisine. He stood to stretch out his core and allow a little breathing room for the heavy meal to be processed when an odd thought crossed his mind. “That was some feast. I just hope these folks aren’t of the same mindset as those flesh-eaters we met at the rest stop. They might have just been fattening me up for the kill.”

The mental image of his body stretched over a pit boasting an apple in its mouth reinvigorated the military man’s search. Studying the room for the Nth time, Jack noted the total lack of windows, vents, or other openings besides the door. The walls were solid rock, some of the surface natural, other smaller, smoother sections exhibiting tool marks where a natural indentation had been expanded. The ceiling and floor were stone as well.

Jack thought about calling the guard and jumping the nervous fellow but dismissed that option. The man was so scared, the commander was surprised he hadn’t accidently shot himself already.

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